Clover Leaves
by PokemonLuverWulf
Summary: Separation between parent and child is a fear. But forced separation? That's a living nightmare. Sequel to Someone New Has Arrived. Rated T for language and later violence.
1. Chapter 1

Some days start out normal, totally fine, nothing to worry about.

This was not one of those days, Laura surmised.

"Okay, think, this isn't a dream, cause Nightmare would be here if he was," she murmured to herself, "and it's not the amusement park. I went to bed, Mom kissed me goodnight, then I had a weirdly black and dreamless sleep- no I guess it wasn't dreamless cause I remember it being black- and now I'm here."

While the twelve year old girl appeared very calm and collected, on the inside she was screaming.

"Open me."

Laura's head whirled, cat ears swiveling to detect the source of the voice.

"Open me."

Laura jumped up, running in the direction she heard the sound. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and doors started to appear on trees.

"Open me."

The voices were all around her now. Laura ran one way, then the other, calling out.

"Mom? Dad? Uncle Gowland? Uncle Julius? Blood? Anybody?" Her voice became shriller and shriller, cracking and wavering as her fear started to take hold.

After what felt like hours, Laura stopped, panting, trees all around her chanting "Open me" in a clashing chorus.

Laura dropped to the ground, hands over her ears, tears dripping down her face. Gone was the cool and calm facade, now was the scared child separated from her parents with no idea how to find them.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed. "JUST SHUT UP! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The trees fell silent, and the only sound echoing through the forest was Laura's sobs.

She dropped her hands, and felt something familiar. Opening her eyes, she found her hands laying on her bow and quiver of arrows, which was amazingly full. Fingers wrapped around the smooth wood body and frizzled cloth grip, slung the leather container over her shoulder, and reveled in the click and familiar weight of the arrows as she stood up.

Her father had taught her once that crying solved nothing. If anything, it just made things worse, because then you had to solve a problem with a stuffy nose and a headache.

Laura breathed a shaky sigh, glancing at the sky. She didn't know how long it was until the next time period, but she wanted to find some sliver of civilization before resting.

She hauled herself up, breathing deeply, trying to sift through the smells like her father had taught her. She picked a direction, and started walking.

^.v.^

Alice's eyes began to flutter. She murmured softly, shifting and turning, searching for a familiar body next to her.

She found nothing.

Her eyes shot open and she sat bolt upright. This wasn't her room at the amusement park. This was a more ornate, decorated room with a bouquet of roses in a glass vase nearby.

"Hello? Boris?" Alice called tentatively. Her shaky voice echoed around the room, and received a response, albeit one she was not expecting.

"Hey, Big Sister woke up!"

The door flew open, and Dee and Dum ran into the room. They tackled Alice in a hug, eliciting a startled cry.

"Dee, Dum! What….why are you two here?"

"We were waiting for you to wake up! Boss found you in the courtyard and brought you in here!"

"Wha-how was I in the courtyard? I was in bed, with Boris, home at the amusement park!"

"The world shifted, sis! Didn't you know?"

"Brother, this is Big Sister's first shift!"

Dee and Dum grabbed Alice's arms, pulling her out of the bed and into the corridor.

"Sis has gotta see Boss! And Blonde Chicky Rabbit!"

"I told you to stop calling me that! And quit tugging on her like that, you're gonna tear her arms off!"

Elliot stepped out of a side hallway, the usual frown stretched across his face.

"Elliot, what is going on?" Alice was beginning to panic now. "What do they mean by shift?"

Elliot explained, as calmly as he could. "Sometimes the land changes. Things disappear and others take their place. It's no longer the Country of Hearts. It's the Country of Clover."

Alice began to shake. The thought of her home, her lover, her daughter, disappearing in the blink of an eye was terrifying.

Elliot gently took her arm. "Here, let's go to a balcony."

He carefully guided Alice through the maze of the manor. Soon, fresh, cold air was gently blowing by, and Alice could see the land.

The amusement park was gone. The clock tower was gone, replaced by a town and a new tower.

"No…"

Elliot, who had been observing the scenery, turned to Alice. The girl was trembling, and tears were rolling down her face.

"No….Boris, Laura, Gowland…."

She turned, grabbing Elliot by the lapels. "I have to find them! I have to!"

Elliot gently grabbed Alice's wrists. "That's up to Blood. If he says you should stay, then you should."

"You don't understand! Laura's out there, alone, scared! For both of us, this is our first time experiencing something like this, she doesn't know what happened or where she is or where home is-"

"Breathe Alice, breathe." A new voice entered, a hand was laid on her shoulder.

Alice turned to see Blood standing behind her.

"It does you no good to be hysterical like this."

"Blood, I have to go."

The mafia boss leaned back, staring at the sky. Darkness fell suddenly, lamps lit up around the manor.

"Not at this hour."

"Blood…." Alice's tone was pleading now, and her voice cracked with the magnitude of tears and fear.

"There will be a meeting tomorrow for those with a Purpose. The Cat will be there, I am sure of it."

"But Laura-"

Blood held a finger to her lips. "She will be found, in time. Laura is a resourceful girl, I have confidence in her."

Alice slumped. She felt helpless.

"For now, why don't we have some tea and relax."

^.v.^

Down in the town, someone was doing anything but relaxing.

Boris was panting, his throat dry and tasting of copper, his legs screaming for him to stop, but he couldn't.

"ALICE! LAURA! ANSWER ME!" His voice trilled and cracked, his cry ending in a wretching cough.

He entered the center square, stopping, spinning. He'd been here eleven, no twelve- damn, he'd lost count. No sign, no response.

He dropped to his knees, exhausted. Street lamps flickered on around him, lighting up tears that began to trace their way down his face.

"DAMN IT!" Boris screamed, slamming his fists down against the cobblestones. Then again. And again. And again, more and more, dull to the pain until he lifted them and saw blood.

"Damn it…" This one was weaker, merely a whisper, pained and fearful. Teardrops painted the ground as he wretched dryly, adrenaline dropping and his exertion catching up to him.

A shadow grew along the ground, then over the prone cat. He looked up to see a tall man, dressed sharply and with a sour expression.

"As much as I enjoy seeing you run yourself in circles, Lord Nightmare asked me to escort you to the tower."

"Why?" Boris snapped.

Grey sighed. "I don't have to tell you why. Besides, it's a better place to play with spaces and doors, don't you agree?" He stretched out one hand. "Come now, up."

Grumbling, Boris grabbed the proffered hand, pulling himself to his feet. He followed Grey in the direction of the Tower of Clover.

"Hey. Can Nightmare tell me where the hell my family is?"

"That is against the rules." Grey answered calmly.

"BULLSHIT IT IS!" Boris exploded.

Grey turned to face the angered feline. "With any luck she will be at the meeting tomorrow. You can search for her afterwards. Remember your place, Cheshire Cat."

The stony man swiveled on his heel, and continued walking. Boris stared at the sky.

"Please, please, let Alice be safe. Let Laura be safe. Let me find them soon."

 **PLW: Two freaking years since I last wrote for this fandom, but now I'm back! Huzzah! This fic literally popped into my head four hours ago, and I just sat down and wrote. I wanted to expand more on Laura's character, build her up, and, of course, bring in members of the cast we didn't see in the last fic.**

 **And I'm not gonna lie, update times are gonna be wonky. I'm in college, I have classes and assignments. Time to write is just gonna be whenever inspiration strikes, honestly.**

 **But hey, I got my groove back! Woo!**

 **I do not own Alice, Boris, or the other characters or the setting. Laura is my only claim.**

 **See you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

Alice stared flatly at the dress on her bed. Blood had picked it out earlier, saying that she needed 'something a touch more formal' for the meeting.

Knowing Blood, knowing their past, and knowing him now, she didn't trust it. She knew he had done something, altered it somehow so that it was much more sensual than it needed to be.

Then again, the longer she delayed it, the longer it would take to go to town and possibly find her family.

Sighing, Alice picked it up. It was an A-line dress, deep red-violet in color with a bateau neckline, made of a satiny fabric. A dark-colored small sweater, with a high neck closed by a pink crystal brooch, was paired with it. While the sweater would cover the back, it seemed that anything below her collarbone to the neck of the dress would be displayed. Black ballet shoes and pantyhose waited on a nearby chair.

A knock sounded on Alice's door, making her jump.

"Are you finished yet, my dear? Do you need assistance?" It was Blood.

"Ah, I'm fine! Give me a few seconds!"

Quickly, Alice slipped on the dress. The sweater was thin, thankfully, and everything fit perfectly.

She caught herself in the mirror, and silently thanked everything that the neckline of the dress did not plunge too low, and despite her initial thought, the sweater covered her chest.

She opened the door to see Blood in his usual white attire leaning on the frame.

"Ah, perfect." He leaned in. "My measurements were correct."

Alice sidestepped and began to walk down the corridor. "Let's get to the meeting." Her voice was flat and tone hard.

^.v.^

Boris stared at the ceiling. During the last time period, Nightmare had let him stay the night in the tower, but a sly smile let Boris know that Nightmare knew exactly what he was going to do.

And he had done it. Cut a hole between doors and pasted his bedroom, his and Alice's bedroom, to the room he had been given. No way in hell was he sleeping in the tower.

Hadn't made sleep easy, though. He was so used to the large bed being occupied by another person, one that would cuddle up to him, hug him close, and murmur in her sleep. Used to having someone to wake up to, to rouse with a good morning kiss full of morning breath. Last night had been hell on this land, making him wake up at odd times because he thought Alice was there.

God, he missed her.

He dimly heard a clock chime and a knock sounded at his door. Grumbling, he sat up and shuffled over, swinging it wide open to see Grey.

"What." Boris growled.

"The meeting will begin shortly. Bring yourself to the room." The butler walked off, and after grabbing his shrug, Boris did too.

He hated this. Hated the suit he had to wear. Hated the stupid meeting for taking away precious searching time. Hated that the land had shifted, and flung everyone in different directions.

Boris skulked up the stairs and plopped himself into a chair in the reception area. He didn't want to pick a seat, not yet. He scanned the crowd, looking for a flash of pink or gold or blue or something-

"Boris!"

Dee and Dum's voices rang out through the room. Boris sighed, then put on a small smile.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

"What's the matter Boris?"

"Yeah you look pretty down."

"Is it about Big Sis?"

"Cause she's coming up with Boss and Blonde Chicky Rabbit."

Boris sprang out of his seat. "She's what?!"

Dee turned around, then pointed. "Yeah, over there!"

Boris snapped his head up to see a very disgruntled Alice walking between a sly-looking Blood and a neutral Elliot.

Everything around him didn't matter in that moment. His body surged forward.

^.v.^

"Blood, for the last time-" Alice's retort to the Hatter Boss was cut short when a large, lanky body smashed into hers, nearly bowling her over until arms wrapped around her, a face burying itself atop her head.

"Oh thank God, you're okay!"

"B-Boris?" Alice pried herself out enough to see her lover's face smiling down at her, tears sparkling in the corners of his eyes. Her heart nearly stopped out of joy.

"Oh Boris, Boris!" She buried her face into his neck now, arms flinging themselves around him as she began to sniffle. He held her tighter, nuzzling her shoulder, whimpering quietly.

"Ahem."

The couple turned to see a disgruntled Grey standing in the entrance. The room was quite empty now, as everyone else had adjorned to the meeting room. "As much as I hate to break up the happy reunion, there is a meeting to attend to. If you would?" He spun on his heel, leaving the two.

Boris growled. "Fucking Lizard, why doesn't he go-"

"Boris."

Alice's soft voice drew him back to reality.

"We'll have time after the meeting, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay." Pressing a soft kiss to her lips, he took her hand and they entered.

^.v.^

The Forest was quiet, save for the tiny flits of birdsong.

"GRAAAHHHHH!"

Then it wasn't.

Birds took flight as Laura stomped forward, hair disheveled and eyes blazing.

"Where is everybody?! Why can't I get out of this stupid forest?!"

Her ear twitched and her tirade stopped. Crouching to sneak, Laura drew behind a nearby bush. Peering over, she saw a deer that somehow hadn't run off when she entered screaming. Carefully and slowly, she knocked an arrow, drawing it and taking aim.

The wood of her bow belied its age. It was handmade, and had been lovingly used for many, many time periods.

And today was its last hurrah.

Just as she released, the bow snapped in half, echoing a resounding crack that startled the deer, arrow just barely missing its haunch and thudding into the ground as it fled.

Laura couldn't believe it. Her weapon, gone. The arrows were alright for stabbing, but in a world where guns were everywhere, long range weaponry was essential.

She threw the broken mess of wood and string onto the ground, tears of frustration springing to the corners of her eyes.

She didn't know what to do.

"I wanna go home." she whimpered childishly.

A snapping branch caused her to look up. A humanoid figure was not too far away, animal ears perched on its head.

Laura stepped closer. "Dad?" She called out.

The figure stopped, turned.

And screeched.

"CAT!"

It took off into the forest. Despite her hunger and fatigue, Laura gave chase.

"Hey, wait, I'm not gonna hurt you! Stop!"

They plunged deeper into the underbrush, branches snapping her in the face. She winced as she felt the sting of open cuts.

"I SAID STOP DAMMIT I JUST WANNA TALK AND MAYBE GET SOME DIRECTIONS AND A WEAPON!"

The figure slowed down, and Laura drew nearer. She could see a boy, or a young man, with feminine features and soft brown hair. A pair of round ears perched on his head, as did a small top hat.

"You-you're not the cat."

"N-no, I'm n-not." Laura panted. "Listen, I just need food, water, a weapon, and directions-"

"You look like him though." The boy stepped back.

"I have no idea which cat you're talking about, but if his name is Boris Airay, he's my dad. I don't know who you are or where I am, I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm scared, my bow just broke, so if you would calm down for five seconds can you give me something?" Frustration began to seep its way into her voice.

"O-oh." The boy drew closer. "Well, I'm Pierce the Doormouse. And I can get you stuff."

"Charmed. Laura Airay-Liddel."

^.v.^

"Thank you, Blood." Alice closed the door to her room in the manor. Boris sat on the bed behind her.

She turned, looked at him, eyes becoming glassy. He gave her a weak smile, opening his arms as she careened headlong into him.

"I thought I wouldn't find you," Alice sobbed. Her hands clutched at his shirt, searching for anything to disprove that he was real and here. Her face was smashed into the crook of his neck, nuzzling him.

Boris stroked her hair, choking on his own tears of relief, clutching her like a life preserver. "I know, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I should have told you these things happen." He pressed his lips to hers, both of them finding comfort in touch.

When they broke apart, Alice's eyes were fearful. "Boris, Laura wasn't with me. I wanted to go find her but-"

"I didn't see her either. I ran all around town looking for you two. If she had ended up with Vivaldi and Peter and Ace, they would have brought her with them to the meeting."

Alice clenched the front of Boris' shirt, tears trailing down her face as she laid her head against his chest. Her baby girl was out there, alone.

"She's somewhere in the forest, hon. We'll find her, I swear. Let's ask the Hatters for help, alright?"

Alice nodded, hiccuping. Boris squeezed her tighter.

"We'll be okay."

^.v.^

"Will this be okay?"

Laura stared dumbfounded at Pierce. He'd brought her to his house after making her drink some weird liquid that caused them to shrink, given her some food, and was now presenting her with a new weapon. One that had the trigger of a gun, but a sideways facing bow, and a series of metal bolts.

A crossbow.

"You don't have any….traditional bows?"

"Nope, sorry, I checked. I have a lot of guns if you want a gun-"

"No, no guns." Laura took the crossbow, turning it in her hands. "It's just….I've never used one of these."

"Well," Pierce explained, "You load it up like this"-inserting the bolt and pulling the string back to the release- "aim like a gun, kinda, then shoot."

Pierce pulled the trigger, sinking a bolt into a couch cushion. He handed the crossbow back to Laura before trotting over to dig out the bolt.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that normal arrows don't work with this."

Pierce shrugged. "Dunno, but you're welcome to try."

Laura sighed, then swung her quiver over her shoulder, dumping out her arrows. She picked up the bolts, one by one, and loaded them in.

"Oh, here!" Pierce scampered back over to his hoard of weaponry, pulling out a quiver made of different material with a clip. "This goes on your belt. Easier to pull from and safer too."

Laura smiled. "Thanks but no thanks. I'm used to over the shoulder."

"But what if yours rips?"

"It's lasted me a while, I think it can handle crossbow bolts."

"If you say so."

Laura slung the now heavier quiver back over her shoulder, picking up her new weapon. She caught a glimpse of herself in a nearby mirror. Bandages were smattered across her face from the assault by the branches, and dirt was smeared over her hands and knees.

She looked badass.

"Thanks for everything, Pierce."

"Oh, one more thing!"

Laura gaped as Pierce handed her a satchel and water canteen.

"It's got some bread and jerky. Should last you for a few time periods before you get to town. There's also a potion in there to bring you back to normal size."

"Pierce, I can't-"

"It's thanks for not hurting me."

He escorted her outside, pointing in a direction.

"Town is that way. Walk straight and you'll find it."

"Thanks. See ya!"

Laura downed the potion, growing back to size and running off.

"I'm coming, mom and dad!"

 **PLW: I know, cheesy ending, but hell, I didn't really have a better idea. Between getting bowled over in the face with new stuff in classes and trying to remember how to write an essay, I'm taking what I can get for fic writing ideas. But hey, two updates for a single fic in a week! That's a step forward in the right direction!**

 **I don't know how long it'll be till the next update, but keep your eyes peeled! Love y'all!**

 **I only own Laura, and nothing else.**


End file.
